As announced yesterday, Sprout Pharmaceuticals, manufacturer of flibanserin, dubbed a "female Viagra," is appealing the Food and Drug Administration's decision requesting more information on the drug before approving it for use in the U.S. Leah Millheiser, MD, director of Stanford's Female Sexual Medicine Program, writes an appeal of her own on her blog, DrLeahM.com, in response to the FDA's delay.
From the post:
Many of us in the field of female sexual medicine felt that Flibanserin had the best shot at being the first FDA-approved “Viagra for Women” – the holy grail for women with persistent low sexual desire in whom other treatments have failed (relationship therapy, sex therapy, off-label medications,etc). With this latest rejection, I ask you to consider the following: 43% of women in the US compared to 31% of men suffer from a sexual function complaint. There are currently 2 drugs that are FDA-approved for female sexual dysfunction (both for the treatment of postmenopausal painful intercourse due to vaginal dryness) compared to over 10 FDA-approved treatments available to men.
Previously: Speaking up about female sexual dysfunction, Young, single, dating – and a breast-cancer survivor, Ask Stanford Med: Director of Female Sexual Medicine Program responds to questions on sexual health and Shining the spotlight on women’s sexual health
